Many different materials and assemblies have been used for swimming pool walls, and many of these have been eliminated in an evolution toward economy, simplicity, and reliability. Swimming pools are highly competitive and the costs include materials, fabrication, storing and shipping, and assembly, with the reliability of the results being competitive for durability and good looks.
Pool panels prefabricated of resinous materials offer several cost advantages if they can meet other requirements. They can be molded efficiently and made light in weight and economical to ship, and they resist deterioration for a potentially long life. However, they must achieve high strength without requiring too much material or molding expense. They must also avoid complex assembly operations so they can be put together easily and quickly by unskilled labor without requiring special tools. The joints must be adequately strong without being unduly expensive, and the assembled wall must be strong enough to resist the expected forces from the pool water and any surrounding earth to hold its shape for many years. Failure to meet all of these requirements has defeated many previous suggestions.
This invention involves analysis of all the problems and requirements for pool walls and proposes a better system for connecting resin pool wall panels to form durable and reliable arcs. The inventive system provides strong and secure joints between panels, disposes panels for maximum strength along lines of tension, distributes stress evenly over wide areas of each panel, and allows simple and labor-saving joinery. The invention also keeps molding costs to a low level, economizes on materials, and accommodates both below ground and above ground pool walls in arcs of different radii.